TL;DR
- Comrades are recruited through Greymane Faction Quests — open Journal → Faction Quests → Greymanes → Grounds of the Sunrise
- Look for missions starting with “A Rumor…” — these are your recruitment quests
- Speak to Marius at camp regularly — he feeds you new leads as you progress
- Comrades do NOT level up through Dispatch Missions or by donating to Carl
- Comrade skill levels are tied entirely to your Howling Hill camp level — upgrade the camp to unlock and level skills
- Skill bonuses: Level 1 = +10%, Level 2 = +30%, Level 3 = +60% — a comrade with all three levels gives +100%
- Skill bonuses do NOT stack across multiple comrades — the game uses only the highest individual level
- If Marius runs out of rumors, you have hit a progression wall — upgrade the camp or advance the main story
The Comrades system in Crimson Desert is one of the most misunderstood mechanics in the game. Most players try to grind Dispatch Missions expecting their workers to grow stronger, or dump resources into Carl hoping something will change. Neither works. Comrades level up through camp upgrades, and you recruit them through a very specific faction quest chain that the game barely explains.
This guide covers both halves — how to find and recruit Comrades, and exactly how to make them stronger.
What Are Comrades?
Comrades are the members of your rebuilt Greymane camp at Howling Hill. They fall into two categories:
Named camp staff — Characters like Carl (Provisions Keeper) and Ross (Dispatch Coordinator) handle specific functions at camp. They do not go on Dispatch Missions but are essential for operating the camp.
Freeswords — The rest of your recruits. These are the workers you send out on Dispatch Missions to passively gather food, stone, timber, silver, and other resources while you continue playing. The more Freeswords you have, the more missions you can run simultaneously.
The system opens up in Chapter 3 when you unlock the Howling Hill camp. Before that, Comrades are not available.
For a full breakdown of how the camp itself works, see our Crimson Desert how to unlock camp guide and our how to upgrade Howling Hill Base Camp to Level 2 guide.
How to Get More Comrades
Step 1: Open the Grounds of the Sunrise Questline
Your Comrade recruitment is locked inside your journal under a specific faction tab. Here is how to access it:
Option A: Open your Menu → Journal → Faction Quests → Greymanes → Grounds of the Sunrise tab
Option B: Walk up to Marius, who stands near the main tent at Howling Hill camp, and speak with him directly
Both routes show the same list of available quests. The Grounds of the Sunrise tab is where all recruitment missions appear alongside camp upgrade quests.
Step 2: Look for “A Rumor…” Quests
Inside the Grounds of the Sunrise tab, your recruitment quests all begin with the phrase “A Rumor…” These quests send you to specific locations across Pywel to track down former Greymane members who are hiding, working, or in trouble somewhere in the world.
Each rumor quest adds one or more Comrades to your camp. Some bring in large groups at once. For example, completing “A Rumor at Goldleaf Trading Post” sends six people to camp in one go: Conrad, Wynstan, Kamu, Alec, Ed, and Ben. Some of these become vendors and camp service providers rather than Freeswords — but they still count toward your overall roster and unlock camp features.
Another important early rumor is “A Rumor at Glenbright Farm”, which recruits Brice. Brice unlocks the Cook and Quartermaster services — two of the most useful camp features and a prerequisite for building the Pywel Wagon. Prioritise this one early.
Step 3: Check Back with Marius Regularly
New recruitment rumors only appear as you progress. They tend to unlock after major chapter transitions and after completing camp upgrade quests. If you check the Grounds of the Sunrise tab and find no new “A Rumor…” quests available, it usually means you need to advance the story or complete a camp expansion first.
Speak with Marius every time you return to camp. He is your main source for new leads and will signal when a fresh batch of recruits is ready to be tracked down.
If Marius goes completely quiet: This is not a bug. Around Chapter 8, many players hit a wall where they have exactly nine Comrades and no new rumors appear. This happens because you have reached a camp progression threshold. The fix is to push your camp upgrades further or advance the main story — new rumors will unlock once the next camp tier is triggered.
How Comrade Levelling Actually Works
This is the part the game does not explain well. Many players spend hours sending Comrades on Dispatch Missions waiting for something to change. It does not work that way.
Comrades do not have individual EXP bars. There is no way to feed them items, grind combat with them, or level them individually through any direct action.
Comrade skill levels are tied entirely to your Howling Hill camp level. When the camp advances, every Comrade advances with it. Their grayed-out skills unlock automatically as the camp grows — you do not need to do anything Comrade-specific.
This means all your levelling energy should go into camp upgrades, not anything else.
How to Level Up Comrades (Step by Step)
1. Complete Grounds of the Sunrise Quests With a Tent Icon
Inside your Grounds of the Sunrise tab, look for quests with a tent icon beside them. These are the direct camp upgrade missions — they physically expand Howling Hill and push the camp level higher. Other quests in the tab support the faction but do not directly trigger camp level increases.
Complete these tent-icon quests as a priority over everything else in the faction tab.
2. Build Camp Structures
Constructing buildings at Howling Hill — ranches, farms, the smith, the stable, and other facilities — directly contributes to your overall camp level. Each new structure bumps the camp forward, which in turn unlocks the next tier of Comrade skills.
You can dispatch Greymanes to build these structures just like any other mission. Some structures also require specific recruits to operate once built — which is another reason to keep running the “A Rumor…” quests in parallel.
For more on camp structures specifically, see our guides on how to unlock Ranch and Farm in Crimson Desert and our how to dispatch the Howling Hill expansion mission guide.
3. Dispatch Camp Upgrade Missions from the Map
Once you have access to Ross and the Mission Dispatch system, you can trigger camp upgrade dispatches directly from the world map. Open the map, find Howling Hill, click Inspect (Triangle on PlayStation / Y on Xbox / left-click on PC), then go to the Missions tab. Look for camp expansion missions and dispatch them from there.
These upgrade missions still require enough Comrades and resources to complete — check the requirements before sending.
Understanding Comrade Skills
Each Comrade has a set of skills tied to specific Dispatch Mission types. Here is how the skill system works:
Skill Levels and Bonuses:
| Skill Level | Icon | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Grey icon, white image | +10% |
| Level 2 | Gold icon, grey image | +30% |
| Level 3 | Gold icon, gold image | +60% |
| All 3 levels on one Comrade | — | +100% (maximum) |
Critical rule — skills do not stack across multiple Comrades. Sending three Comrades who all have a Level 1 skill still only gives you a +10% bonus, not +30%. The game takes only the highest individual skill level present among all assigned Comrades. Because of this, it is far more effective to concentrate skill upgrades onto one highly trained Comrade per mission type than to spread them thin across many.
Hard-locked missions: Some Dispatch Missions require at least one Comrade with a specific skill to start at all. The most important example is the Engineer skill — you cannot build the Pywel Wagon without at least one Engineer in your roster. Other skill-locked missions similarly require a Craftsman, Smith, Farmer, or Escort specialist. Always check mission requirements before trying to dispatch.
The Comrade buff: For missions that anyone can do, assigning extra Comrades beyond the minimum adds a headcount bonus on top of any skill bonus. Each additional worker adds approximately 20% bonus rewards, up to +40% for two extras. Always fill missions to maximum capacity when possible.
Maximising Dispatch Mission Output
Once your Comrades are recruited and your camp is levelling, here are the key habits that make the system run efficiently:
Always have missions running. Every time you leave camp, make sure all your Freeswords are assigned somewhere. Dispatch Missions run automatically and restart themselves on a loop once complete — idle Comrades earn nothing. If you want to change a mission, you must cancel it manually first. Cancelling refunds all invested provisions, so there is no penalty for switching.
Put your highest-skilled Comrade on each relevant mission. A single Level 3 skilled Comrade is worth far more than three Level 1 workers on the same task.
Stack extra bodies for the headcount bonus. After assigning your best-skilled worker, fill the remaining slots with whoever is available. The extra headcount reward is free.
Use Guard and Escort missions for passive Camp Funds. Missions with the Shield icon pay out Camp Funds over time. Keeping at least one of these running at all times keeps your treasury topped up without you manually donating silver to Carl. For more, see our how to get Camp Funds guide.
Check for new dispatch locations regularly. Dispatch Missions become available at locations you have discovered on the map — farms, mines, manors, and outposts all potentially host missions. Ringing bell towers reveals large sections of the map at once, which can unlock many new dispatch locations simultaneously. See our Crimson Desert all bell tower locations guide.
All gathered resources are deposited automatically into the Supply Chest behind Carl at camp — not directly into your inventory. Check the chest when you return to collect everything your Comrades brought back.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Grinding Dispatch Missions for Comrade levels — missions give resources, not Comrade XP. Stop and focus on camp upgrades instead.
Donating supplies to Carl to level Comrades — Carl donations contribute camp provisions for missions, not Comrade skill progression.
Stacking the same skill across multiple Comrades — only the highest individual skill level counts. Concentrate upgrades rather than spreading them.
Ignoring Marius — he is the only way to unlock new recruits. Visit him after every major chapter transition and camp upgrade.
Not filling missions to capacity — always assign extra Comrades for the free headcount bonus on top of skill bonuses.
Related Guides
- How to unlock camp in Crimson Desert
- How to upgrade Howling Hill Base Camp to Level 2
- How to get Camp Funds in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert all characters and companions guide
- How to use Contribution Points in Crimson Desert
- How to unlock Ranch and Farm in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert Mysterious Energy Zones — Howling Hill
- How to make money fast in Crimson Desert
- How to research in Crimson Desert
- How to get a wagon in Crimson Desert
- How to trade goods in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert all bell tower locations
- White Lion Necklace legendary location — a top-tier crit necklace worth hunting while you explore the map for new dispatch locations
- Crimson Desert how long to beat
Where to Play Crimson Desert
The Comrade system rewards players who focus on camp progression rather than grinding individual workers. Keep the “A Rumor…” quests flowing, build camp structures as fast as resources allow, and always have your Freeswords dispatched. Once the camp is running smoothly, resources and Camp Funds accumulate passively while you focus on exploration and bosses. For everything else in the game, head to our Crimson Desert guides hub.
